Garment-supporter.



No. 831,989. PATENTED SEPT. 25, 1906..

L. D- &'A. G. POWELL.

GARMENT SUPPORTER. APPLICATION IILED AIB..4, 1906.

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98% m eases anew/nu UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI D. POWELL AND ALBERT O. POWELL, OF WILLIS, TEXAS.

GARMENT-SUPPORTER- Patented Sept. 25, 1906.

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that we, LEVI D. POWELL and ALBERT C. POWELL, citizens of the United States, residing at WVillis, in the county of Montgomery and State of Texas, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to garment-supports, the object of the invention being to provide a convenient, effective, and ornamental support for upholding skirts and preventing the same'from dragging upon the ground or upon the floors of ball-rooms and the like.

With the above general object in view the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a garment-support embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a reverse view of the same looking toward the inner side thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the support. Fig. 4: is an inner face View of the support, showing a slight modification.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a holder of'conventional design, the same being shown in the form of a glove and being concavo-convex shaped in cross-section, whereby the inner side of the holder is dished to receive the engaging device or clasp which holds the dress or skirt. At the upper end the holder is provided with an eye 2, adapted to receive the lower extremity of a supporting-strap 3, which is secured to the eye and which is folded upon itself and provided at its opposite end with a take-up 4, by means of which the length of the strap as a whole may be adjusted for the purpose of correspondingly adjusting the height of the holder and the amount of uplift of the skirt. Adj acent to its lower end the holder is provided with a lug 5, to which is pivotally connected a clasp 6, substantially'rectangular in shape, provided with an end cross-bar 7, adapted to be engaged under a keeper 8, carried by the holder 1.

Under the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the keeper 8 consists of a spring having one end permanently connected to the inner face of the holder, while the opposite end thereof is hooked, as shown at 9, such hook being adapted to engage the end cross-bar 7 of the clasp and hold the same from swinging outward, a portion of the skirt being securely held between the clasp and the holder 1 by tucking such portion of the skirt between said parts, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 4 the keeper 8 is shown in the form of a sliding bolt mounted to move through bearing-lugs 10, projecting from the inner face of the holder 1 and normally held outward, so as to engage the clasp by means of a spring 11, interposed between one of the lugs 10 and a shoulder 12 on the bolt of the keeper, the shoulder 12 conveniently consisting of a projecting pin which may be manipulated by the fingers for moving the keeper 8 into and out of engagement with the clasp 6.

Under either arrangement described a portion of the skirt is tucked under the clasp 6, while the clasp is swung outward, and when the clasp is swung inward, so as to grasp the underlying portion of the skirt, it is engaged by the keeper 8 and securely retained in its closed position. The elevation of the skirt may be regulated by adjusting the take-up with which the supporting or suspendingstrap 3 is equipped.

We claim A garment-support embodying a holder of conventional form having a concavo-convex shape in cross-section, a clasp pivotally connected with the concaved side of said holder and. arranged to confine part of the garment between itself and the body of the holder, a spring-pressed keeper connected to the same s1de of the holder and adapted to engage and hold the free end of the clasp, and an eye on the holder adapted to receive a supportingstrap.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

LEVI D. POWELL. ALBERT O. POWELL.

Witnesses A. W. MORRIS, MAYME MORRIS. 

